288LikesTamiya mini cooper
07-07-2015, 09:31 AM
Let's hope that the user can figure out which turnbuckle and the right wrench/spanner for it. Worst case, the smooth jaw pliers work just fine especially if one is not adjusting frequently.
Most often than not, most folks doing parking lot races adjust a few times to figure out a good setup, and just leave it unless for maintenance after a crash or something, change other parts of the car such as damp setting, tires, etc.
07-07-2015, 10:02 AM
[QUOTE=32819toon;14083407]
I too came to Minis from TC. These are just impressions of mine and are not in any way meant to impugn the abilities or the merits of either discipline. For me, a TC is much easier to drive and unless involved in an actual race almost boring. A TC handles much better than a Mini and is much easier to tune cause it responds reliably to adjustments. In other words if something should give you a certain result, it usually does. A mini however is not as predictable. This is why so many TC drivers have some difficulty in setting up a Mini. Standard advice to a TC driver new to Minis is "forget everything you know about chassis set up and start over". Not entirely true, but a lot of things don't work the same way as in a TC. In both you will find a select few are just faster and the gap seems similar.
What's different is that a fast well set up Mini is edgy and hard as hell to drive, whereas a well set up TC is highly responsive, but is glued to the track. In either case the best drivers are the only ones to get the most out of the cars. For me I like the "pucker" factor involved in hot lapping a Mini, that for me is missing in a TC. This is not the reason I left TCs, I just liked the more relaxed atmosphere of Minis.
Out of curiosity, what did you do before when you got to a corner????? I'd almost always backed off the throttle.
I always have done. I'm a touring car driver so its natural to back off and look for the tight line. What is hard for me with Minis and also GT12 is to look for the smooth entry to keep corner speed up as they don't have the same punch out of corners as touring cars. When the Mini is handling well, I like how you can just power through a long sweeper without fear of it flying off. Mine had too much understeer to do that yesterday.
I always have done. I'm a touring car driver so its natural to back off and look for the tight line. What is hard for me with Minis and also GT12 is to look for the smooth entry to keep corner speed up as they don't have the same punch out of corners as touring cars. When the Mini is handling well, I like how you can just power through a long sweeper without fear of it flying off. Mine had too much understeer to do that yesterday.
What's different is that a fast well set up Mini is edgy and hard as hell to drive, whereas a well set up TC is highly responsive, but is glued to the track. In either case the best drivers are the only ones to get the most out of the cars. For me I like the "pucker" factor involved in hot lapping a Mini, that for me is missing in a TC. This is not the reason I left TCs, I just liked the more relaxed atmosphere of Minis.
07-07-2015, 10:11 AM
I too came to Minis from TC. These are just impressions of mine and are not in any way meant to impugn the abilities or the merits of either discipline. For me, a TC is much easier to drive and unless involved in an actual race almost boring. A TC handles much better than a Mini and is much easier to tune cause it responds reliably to adjustments. In other words if something should give you a certain result, it usually does. A mini however is not as predictable. This is why so many TC drivers have some difficulty in setting up a Mini. Standard advice to a TC driver new to Minis is "forget everything you know about chassis set up and start over". Not entirely true, but a lot of things don't work the same way as in a TC. In both you will find a select few are just faster and the gap seems similar.
What's different is that a fast well set up Mini is edgy and hard as hell to drive, whereas a well set up TC is highly responsive, but is glued to the track. In either case the best drivers are the only ones to get the most out of the cars. For me I like the "pucker" factor involved in hot lapping a Mini, that for me is missing in a TC. This is not the reason I left TCs, I just liked the more relaxed atmosphere of Minis.
07-07-2015, 10:44 AM
Unfortunately for me, its the opposite on the rug. TC is so competitive, its 5 mins of intense concentration. It takes so much effort in setup and driving skill to make it to the top. At our local club, if you have one mistake in TC, your a distant last in an instant, and you need a miracle to make it up. Mini is a lot of fun, I haven't changed setup in years, and its mega fun to take it from the shelf to the track, and be competitive enough to win (if I don't stuff it) plus maintenance is so easy, especially since we started running the 3 racing oil diff. Set it and forget it!
Therefore, lately, I haven't bothered racing Mini at club races, as the TC takes so much effort. I find it rewarding when I do half decent in TC. But I do miss the huge amounts of fun in mini. Maybe Ill give up mod to have fun in Mini this winter, I usually forget to breathe racing mod, and I get headaches lol.
Therefore, lately, I haven't bothered racing Mini at club races, as the TC takes so much effort. I find it rewarding when I do half decent in TC. But I do miss the huge amounts of fun in mini. Maybe Ill give up mod to have fun in Mini this winter, I usually forget to breathe racing mod, and I get headaches lol.
07-07-2015, 10:50 AM
The second car is set up so you drive most of the corners on throttle. With this set up, you enter the corner at a reduced throttle setting, and maintain corner speed with throttle. If you go into a corner and chop throttle on this car, it will swap ends on you. You will always have a little throttle on. I can drive a car set up like this, but not very fast or consistently. It's the faster set up on the larger tracks. I don't believe this type of set up is for a small track. This car will be more like a TC set up, but will be harder to drive.
Nothing wrong with your M03. That's how a fast set up feels like. Two or more puckers per lap. My driving skills have eroded with my advancing years so don't set up my cars as edgy as before so my lap times are slower.
07-07-2015, 10:59 AM
There are two basic ways to set up a Mini. The first way is to set the car up so that you drive deep into a turn, chop throttle to transfer the max amount of wight to the front wheels, and roll thru the first part of the turn, then power out. This is the way for small tracks and indoor carpet. A car set up this way will be more stable, but needs a strong front end.
The second car is set up so you drive most of the corners on throttle. With this set up, you enter the corner at a reduced throttle setting, and maintain corner speed with throttle. If you go into a corner and chop throttle on this car, it will swap ends on you. You will always have a little throttle on. I can drive a car set up like this, but not very fast or consistently. It's the faster set up on the larger tracks. I don't believe this type of set up is for a small track. This car will be more like a TC set up, but will be harder to drive.
Nothing wrong with your M03. That's how a fast set up feels like. Two or more puckers per lap. My driving skills have eroded with my advancing years so don't set up my cars as edgy as before so my lap times are slower.
The second car is set up so you drive most of the corners on throttle. With this set up, you enter the corner at a reduced throttle setting, and maintain corner speed with throttle. If you go into a corner and chop throttle on this car, it will swap ends on you. You will always have a little throttle on. I can drive a car set up like this, but not very fast or consistently. It's the faster set up on the larger tracks. I don't believe this type of set up is for a small track. This car will be more like a TC set up, but will be harder to drive.
Nothing wrong with your M03. That's how a fast set up feels like. Two or more puckers per lap. My driving skills have eroded with my advancing years so don't set up my cars as edgy as before so my lap times are slower.
The car runs very well at casual speeds, but it's when I put my Lipo's in there and time attack, I am on my toes trying to control this wild horse!!
07-07-2015, 11:01 AM
[QUOTE=Granpa;14084656]
I too came to Minis from TC. These are just impressions of mine and are not in any way meant to impugn the abilities or the merits of either discipline. For me, a TC is much easier to drive and unless involved in an actual race almost boring. A TC handles much better than a Mini and is much easier to tune cause it responds reliably to adjustments. In other words if something should give you a certain result, it usually does. A mini however is not as predictable. This is why so many TC drivers have some difficulty in setting up a Mini. Standard advice to a TC driver new to Minis is "forget everything you know about chassis set up and start over". Not entirely true, but a lot of things don't work the same way as in a TC. In both you will find a select few are just faster and the gap seems similar.
What's different is that a fast well set up Mini is edgy and hard as hell to drive, whereas a well set up TC is highly responsive, but is glued to the track. In either case the best drivers are the only ones to get the most out of the cars. For me I like the "pucker" factor involved in hot lapping a Mini, that for me is missing in a TC. This is not the reason I left TCs, I just liked the more relaxed atmosphere of Minis.
Couldn't agree more ! Main thing I enjoy, Minis are FUN ! I've also started racing GT12 and am enjoying that as well. I may even sack the TC's even though I have a new one I haven't raced yet.
I too came to Minis from TC. These are just impressions of mine and are not in any way meant to impugn the abilities or the merits of either discipline. For me, a TC is much easier to drive and unless involved in an actual race almost boring. A TC handles much better than a Mini and is much easier to tune cause it responds reliably to adjustments. In other words if something should give you a certain result, it usually does. A mini however is not as predictable. This is why so many TC drivers have some difficulty in setting up a Mini. Standard advice to a TC driver new to Minis is "forget everything you know about chassis set up and start over". Not entirely true, but a lot of things don't work the same way as in a TC. In both you will find a select few are just faster and the gap seems similar.
What's different is that a fast well set up Mini is edgy and hard as hell to drive, whereas a well set up TC is highly responsive, but is glued to the track. In either case the best drivers are the only ones to get the most out of the cars. For me I like the "pucker" factor involved in hot lapping a Mini, that for me is missing in a TC. This is not the reason I left TCs, I just liked the more relaxed atmosphere of Minis.
07-07-2015, 11:03 AM
Unfortunately for me, its the opposite on the rug. TC is so competitive, its 5 mins of intense concentration. It takes so much effort in setup and driving skill to make it to the top. At our local club, if you have one mistake in TC, your a distant last in an instant, and you need a miracle to make it up. Mini is a lot of fun, I haven't changed setup in years, and its mega fun to take it from the shelf to the track, and be competitive enough to win (if I don't stuff it) plus maintenance is so easy, especially since we started running the 3 racing oil diff. Set it and forget it!
Therefore, lately, I haven't bothered racing Mini at club races, as the TC takes so much effort. I find it rewarding when I do half decent in TC. But I do miss the huge amounts of fun in mini. Maybe Ill give up mod to have fun in Mini this winter, I usually forget to breathe racing mod, and I get headaches lol.
Therefore, lately, I haven't bothered racing Mini at club races, as the TC takes so much effort. I find it rewarding when I do half decent in TC. But I do miss the huge amounts of fun in mini. Maybe Ill give up mod to have fun in Mini this winter, I usually forget to breathe racing mod, and I get headaches lol.
That's how I'm enjoying my M-chassis right now. Just for fun, and just watching them go around the track is rewarding.
07-07-2015, 07:19 PM
Tc's have reached a no fun level that needs to be offset by the fun mini class where luck rules mostly... I race both to keep that necessary balance... I still use my brushed motors in mini though: brushless just increases traction roll...lol...
07-07-2015, 07:23 PM
Tech Regular
http://www.tamiyausa.com/items/radio...-arm-set-54182
Next my gears should be in on Friday and this lil thing will be ready to boogie again!!!
07-07-2015, 10:42 PM
Guys I really envy the crap out of your access to good tracks at an easy access. But on a side note- MY FIRST SET OF PARTS ARRIVED!!!! I got the 3 racing linkage kit... 2 replacement tires...nothing special....and the tamiya shim kit for increasing camber and toe adjustments.....these...
http://www.tamiyausa.com/items/radio...-arm-set-54182
Next my gears should be in on Friday and this lil thing will be ready to boogie again!!!
http://www.tamiyausa.com/items/radio...-arm-set-54182
Next my gears should be in on Friday and this lil thing will be ready to boogie again!!!
For that rod set you wont need a turnbuckle spanner. You will just have to undo the ball joint each time to adjust. I made my own rear camber rods using narrow turnbuckles (for my M05).
07-08-2015, 05:44 AM
Tech Regular
Hey...soo what is the best way to get my old tires off the rim...just cut through with a razor blade and sand them down a little after....or how do you guys get them off?
07-08-2015, 05:53 AM
I use a knife and needle nose to pull the old tire off.
Then position the blade perpendicular to the wheel lip to sheer/grind off the rest of the ca off. I only glue the face side.
I reuse the inserts too if they are in good shape.
Then position the blade perpendicular to the wheel lip to sheer/grind off the rest of the ca off. I only glue the face side.
I reuse the inserts too if they are in good shape.
07-08-2015, 06:26 AM
Tech Regular
Ok then just clean the rim up and glue. I may glue both sides....U don't glue both sides??
07-08-2015, 06:53 AM
No need to glue both sides for me, just the face side. My track is grippy enough to traction roll a M03 without its tires coming off the wheels, so I think it's fine.
Also when I glue new tires to the wheels, I clean the bead of the tire with some motorspray to remove any release oil from the mold. Then after I apply the ca, I place a rubber band over the tread to apply pressure to the tire bead and wheel lip, let it sit for 10min or so.
